Page 49 of The Love Letter

On Saturday evening, Zoe was upstairs in her bedroom sorting out her laundry when she heard the doorbell ring. She decided to ignore it. Whoever it was, she couldn’t face them tonight. Tweaking aside the net curtain that shielded her from the busy street beneath, she looked down.

‘Oh God,’ she whispered when she saw the figure standing on the doorstep. She dropped the curtain back into place quickly, but not before he’d looked up and seen her.

The doorbell rang again.

Zoe looked down at her tracksuit trousers and ancient sweatshirt. Her hair was piled untidily on the top of her head and she wasn’t wearing a stroke of make-up.

‘Go away,’ she whispered, ‘please go away.’

At the third ring Zoe leant against the wall, her resolve crumbling, then went downstairs to open the door.

‘Hello, Art.’

‘Can I come in?’

‘Sure.’

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Even dressed like a regular person in jeans and jumper, he was an arresting sight. Zoe couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.

‘What happened yesterday?’ he asked. ‘Why did you leave Norfolk without telling me? My driver waited for you for over two hours.’

‘Art, I’m sorry, I . . .’ She finally looked up into his warm green eyes. ‘I ran away. I was so . . . frightened.’

‘Oh darling.’ He pulled her into his arms and held her close.

‘Don’t,please, it’s wrong,we’rewrong . . .’ She tried to pull away, but he held her firmly.

‘I nearly went mad when I couldn’t get through to you, when I realised you were running away again. Zoe, my Zoe –’ he smoothed away the blonde hair from her face – ‘I’ve never stopped thinking about you, wanting you, wondering why—’

‘Art . . .’

‘Zoe, Jamie’s mine, isn’t he? Isn’t he? However much you deny it, I’ve always known he was.’

‘No . . . no!’

‘It didn’t matter that you spun me some ridiculous story about another man. I didn’t believe you then and I won’t believe you now. After everything we shared together, even though we were so young, I knew you couldn’t have done that to me. I knew you loved me too much to deceive me in that way.’

‘Stop! Stop! Stop!’ She was crying now, still trying to break free of his grasp, but he held her tight.

‘I have to know, Zoe. Is Jamie mine? Is he?!’

‘Yes! Jamie’s yours!’ she screamed. All her energy spent, she sagged in his arms. ‘He’s yours.’

‘God . . .’

They stood in the hallway, holding each other in mutual despair. Then he kissed her, first on the forehead, then on her cheeks, her nose and eventually her mouth.

‘Have you any idea how I’ve dreamt of this moment, longed for it, prayed for it . . . ?’ He caressed her ears, her neck, then in one easy movement pulled her gently to the floor.

Afterwards, as they lay in the hall in a tangle of discarded clothes, Art was the first to speak. ‘Zoe, forgive me. I . . .’ His hands roamed the soft skin of her back, unable to stop touching her, confirming her physical presence next to him. ‘I love you. I always have and I always will. Listen, the car’s waiting for me outside, but please, let me see you again. I understand how impossible this is for you, for both of us, but . . .please,’ he begged her again.

She offered him his boxer shorts and his socks, silently revelling in the intimacy of seeing him put on the mundane items.

When he was dressed, he stood up and pulled her to standing too. ‘There is a way, darling. For now, we just have to see each other in secret. I know it’s not how it should be, but surely we owe it to ourselves to try it for a while?’

‘I don’t know.’ She leant into his chest and sighed. ‘It’s Jamie . . . I’m so scared for him. I don’t want anything in his life to change. He mustn’t be affected.’

‘He won’t be, I promise. Jamie is our precious secret. And I am so very glad you told me, Zoe,’ he murmured. ‘I love you.’ He gave her a final smile, then headed for the door. With a kiss blown towards her, he opened it and was gone.